Two months coming up / missing post

I want to make this quick blog post before I get moving this morning.

It has come to my attention that only two postings have been successfully posted in this blog since I arrived in Bali. Somehow a blog is missing, and I don't have it backed up anywhere. I will deal with that at a later time. Some of what I am about to write was in that post.

I am heading back to Los Angeles on Monday. I expected this due to a visa limitation as I near my two month mark. I will be home for one month, and at that time I will make the final decision as to whether or not I am returning. At the present time I am confident that I will be returning. I was given options for alternatives to returning to Los Angeles, but the month back home will be most welcome. My hair, which I finally cut short for the trip, is not so short anymore, and the haircut I got by a very beautiful local woman was not as beautiful as she is. I look a lot less like a sheepdog but more like a poodle. And as for any photos you might encounter online, I have sworn to disavow any knowledge of their existence.

For the most part I have been working with adults in Conversational English, but should I decide to return, I will be working with children. I have enjoyed my fellow volunteers, the teachers and the students. Pastor Rob is here, but he is leaving next week. I believe this is his fifth visit here, and he's looking forward to his sixth around the time I return. Rob and his church have made a lot of the arrangements for flights and guesthouse accommodations.

I hope to make another post before I go home. I don't want to lost another post, so I will see how this works.

Always in a rush...

MJM

A long-overdue update.

I'm sorry for the delay in posting in this blog. I have been experiencing a lot of problems getting to my email and to Blogger. I have attempted to reply to emails but I don't get any confirmation of email sent. I have been experiencing a very slow response time at best. I consider myself fortunate in that I was able to connect tonight, only through extreme patience and perseverance. I was able to read about half of my emails, but I have also kept them in my inbox to read again in the evening.

All is going well. My schedule is completely flexible, but I am enjoying doing what I can, and I have been able to stick to a routine, which is appreciated by the class. I am enjoying the teaching I've been doing, and the free time has been wonderful. I am enjoying the beach...still haven't taken the surfing lessons I have been promised, but I will do that before I leave.

David's last day is Thursday. I tried to enter a post stating that David would not be here for the entire four months, but I was unable to post it. His being here has made this paradise truly paradise. He has provided me with the support I needed when I was feeling down. I have had a few down days, but this is due to my being so far away from home. Fortunately, however, the down days are few and not long lasting.

I knew I had gotten into a routine the day David asked me if I was going to post in my blog, and I said that I had nothing new to report. That isn't quite true. We have done some fishing, and we got to meet some of the local fishermen. As you would imagine, fish is a staple here; so is rice. In other words, their fish is like our chicken. You can cook it so many ways, but I want to make this perfectly clear, folks. It doesn't taste like chicken.

I will need to look up a recipe for a salad we had. It was cold, and it had rice, some vegetables of varying color, and chunks of fish. It was almost like a seafood salad that we might buy at Ralph's, but I have not been able to find a Ralph's here. I heard a rumor that McDonald's serves Big Macs made out of fish. Um...no. I wonder what they serve at KFC!

There are a lot of Chinese, or what urbanites call "Asian" restaurants. Some of the local dishes are difficult to identify, but I had a grilled fish that was wrapped in banana leaves and had a salty seasoning on it. It was served with a fried rice side dish with lumps of fish in it. It was very good. Once back in LA I will see what I can find, but David has already sent recipes back to the restaurant for testing. Can't wait!

We found it interesting that Balinese restaurants that serve Balinese food are nearly non-existent. Ginger, sesame seed oil, pepper, cloves, onion, lemon and cumin are favorite flavorings that will surely please your discriminating palate and offer your senses a feel for the flavors of paradise. One bite and you can feel the warm tropical breezes of the beaches of Bali. Sound good? I might use that when I announce the Balinese Grilled Snapper special. I hope it works in Los Angeles! However...armed with recipes and cooking tips, you Angelinos will want to keep your eyes open for some new specials. I hate burping ginger.

I am still scheduled to leave in mid-November, date uncertain right now. I haven't gotten tired of the boring weather and scenery yet. But what I wouldn't do for some prime rib!

I mentioned to someone that our accommodations are small, about 12 X 20, not much bigger than an RV, but it is comfortable and quiet. It will be much quieter after Thursday, but I'm trying not to think about that.

Rob should be here next week. I wonder what kind of entrance he'll make. He won't be far from here, so I look forward to some of his stories and a few laughs. And as I've learned, it only gets better.

That's it for today. I want to be over at the classroom by 10:30 and my ride will be here shortly.

Peace!

First blog from Bali

Look at me! I'm that guy who got the world's greatest job, only I'm not in Australia, I'm on a beautiful tropical island called Bali.

I have internet capability. I am going to write as often as I can, and I will upload it as often as I can. I sent word home that I got here OK, and then the word spread that I made it. What did they expect...lol

We arrived a little reasonably on time. There were four other people on the flight who will be working on the same project. The lady who met us was a picture of grace. We were quickly taken on a long, bumpy ride to the residence where we will be staying. Our quarters are quite nice, although small. We have two twin beds, a sitting area and a small cooking area, although some meals will be provided. I understand that some of the other accommodations are a bit less deluxe.

Orientation has gone well. Thank goodness for interpreters. Understandably, I am still on Pacific time. I need to go not only on the proper time, but the proper date as well. Once I unscramble my brain I will get on and post what I am writing. I am currently writing all of this offline. I am told that I can connect right here, but I don't think there is a hook-up compatible with carrier pigeon.

From the window I see a deep cover of palm trees. We are about 1000 feet from the ocean, and the terrain gently slopes down toward the beach. I don't believe the tide changes much here. The temperature is quite comfortable, and there is a gentle breeze. I doesn't get any cooler at night. It's always in the low 80's. Maybe that's why they call this Paradise.

I don't do well typing on my bed. I want to get some more sleep as I adjust to the time difference. We were told to expect jet lag for several days. I feel OK, though. After all, it is 2:00 in the afternoon yesterday, isn't it?

More to come. I don't know when I will be able to connect to load this, so I will continue.

Saturday addition.

It is now Saturday night at 9:00 on 31 July. The classes go well. There are a lot of similar classes going on all over. Most of the volunteer teachers are here for no longer than two months. I will be here for four months. I will know more. I am only typing this now because by the time I post this everything will have changed.

I had wanted to send out personal emails to people to let you know I got here safely. I apologize for not doing that. I was in the situation where I had zero time to do things like that. I don't want anybody to feel neglected. Even before I left home I was being led around, told where to go and when to go there. Unbelievably, my life is in a more stable state right now than it has been in several months. I have developed a routine, which coincides with David's, and we are able to enjoy this place.

We are located just below the equator, which means that it is currently winter, although nobody talks about four seasons. The days are no longer or shorter than they were when I was here at Christmas. The seasonal changes are simply a matter of rainy season or dry season. I was here during the wet season at Christmas, and this is the dry season. There has been a gentle breeze blowing, but the amazing part is that you don't need air conditioning. We have found that the ceiling fans and open windows are great for sleeping. One of the big rules is that if you use air conditioning, turn it off if you're going out. The people are very conscious of resources, and recycling is only starting to take hold here.

I have been working on this post since I got here, and I am going to clean it up so I can post it. I am going to attempt a Skype connection to home at 10:00, which is about 40 minutes away.

While I wait I wanted to mention that my visit with my friends in New Jersey is now a long-away memory. It was so very fresh in my mind as I was flying here, but so much has happened that I had to stop and think. I had a wonderful time, and I am glad I had the opportunity to write about it. I only scratched the surface, but the important fact is that I was able to enjoy our time together, and I was able to get away and relax.

That's it for Saturday. I will try to post this. Thanks for reading. I will do my best to write as often as possible.

Tuesday

It is now Tuesday morning of 3 August. I am going to post this.

Is this OK with you if I do it like this?

One final short blog before I leave.

I have spent a nice day with a lot of people. I am packed for my trip. I am both nervous and excited. I will be met at the airport by the coordinator, and possibly members of the family with whom we will be staying. I'm told we will have our own space...small but private. In another twist of events, I've learned that Rob will be there for a short time while we're there. I don't know where or when, but that's normal for most things Rob plans...lol.

You can now post comments without approval.

I plan to get online when I can, and I have been told that I will have Internet access. We are both taking our laptops, so that will make getting online more familiar.

My head is spinning and my heart is racing. I'll have a lot of time to relax and do some thinking between here and Indonesia.

This is very important to me, and I an grateful for all of the support you've shown me.

On leaving NJ and heading for Bali...

As promised, I'm writing a little bit before I leave. I'm being watched, so I better be careful...lol. I plan for this to be my final blog posting until I'm in Bali. I leave for Bali on Thursday the 22nd. I don't know how much Internet connectivity I will have in the home where we will be saying, but I will make sure to get on. We will be met at the airport by the people who will be hosting us, as well as leaders from the organization.

I'm flying home tomorrow. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. It seems like only yesterday we were being were picked up at the airport, greeted with the smiling, warm welcome from friends we love so much. Although the flight was late, there was never a word of complaint about flight schedules or traffic. When we finally got our luggage, I had hoped that our stay here hadn't begun on a downer. But this ended up being a truly positive experience in spite of the minor pitfalls, and we were home before we knew it.

I have been saying that this has been one of my top ten vacations of all time, and I can honestly say that it is near the top of the top ten. I've been rushing through a lot of things during the past few months, such as visiting my father, spending more time at my brother's, and of course, spending time with my friends. I won't be seeing any of them for four months, possibly longer. I've done all I can to tie up loose ends, and to deal with all that was important. I didn't have a lot of time to blog, but I know that you all understand, and I appreciate it.

I have done so much here. I am taking with me a lot of wonderful memories. This is such a fun place, and our friends make it that much more fun. Mom and I never needed a thing. It was always there. We don't do anything. Our task at hand was to relax and enjoy, but I was brought up to help out whenever possible.

I was so honored to be able to share in Jeff's 28th birthday. As hard as it has been for him to get used to my being 22, I'm getting used to his being 28. And Devin, my blood brother of the heart, is going to be 25 on Christmas Day. So you see, I am EVERYBODY'S little brother...:).

There's a certain relaxing effect just in listening to the constant activity that goes on in this town. We sat on the deck and I could hear the cars, the trolley bell, people, horns, and other sounds associated with a tourist beach community. I've heard them before, but there is something strangely different here. I was able to relax because I didn't jump every time the phone rang. I didn't jump when I heard a car horn outside the house. I turned my cell off as soon as I got here, and only turned it on in the evening to talk to a certain person who wanted to make sure I was having a good time.

As I had said, my friends are here with me right now. I get sad thinking about how much I'm going to miss them tomorrow, but there won't be any time to be sad. I'll reflect at some point over the Pacific at 38,000 feet. Goodness knows there will be plenty of time to reflect. I'll think of Mom, and how she'll be missing me, and of how I'll be missing her. There will only be a quick good-bye for Alex. I'll hold and kiss Ethan, and I'll remind him how much I love him. Four months can do a lot, and I'm hopeful that I won't have to reintroduce myself to my nephew. I am going to miss him more than anyone or anything else in the entire world! Christine has been too busy to worry about anything else, but that's another story for another blog time.

Two weeks went by very quickly. Four months will go by very quickly. I could be home for Thanksgiving. I definitely will be home for Christmas, and who knows what wonderful plans can come up between now and then?

In closing, I want you to know that I lived up to my philosophy of never passing up the opportunity to tell someone I love them. I love these people. I told them and I showed them. I love you, too. My number of blog readers has dropped almost out of sight, but I plan to continue writing. I might not have the chance to do it every day, as I might have a few years ago, but I will continue to write. I'm sure there will be a lot to tell over the next few months. I can't imagine that it will become a boring routine. There is a big unknown in the near future. It's like a gift that's wrapped in beautiful tropical paper. I can't wait to open it.

I'm going to spend the last few hours of my stay here enjoying everything that surrounds me. I'm not looking forward to leaving, but I am definitely looking forward to that unknown that awaits me.

Remembering all the good times in Wildwood, NJ

I should probably start this blog with something like "Greetings from New Jersey." It's that time of year again. Mom and I have made our annual trip east to visit our friends in Wildwood, New Jersey. I'll spare you the long story of how we have known each other all our lives, but you have probably heard about how we visited here every other summer.

It has been refreshing to leave Los Angeles and all that is going on back there, even for a couple of weeks. Although everything has gone well, I needed to get away. Visiting with my friends Devin and Jeff and their family is something I look forward to all year. I've told about how we young kids would ride The Bus, a ten-foot long surfboard owned by a teenage boy, who was less than half the size of the board at the time. We sit around reminiscing about the good times we all had years ago. Strange, isn't it, that our mothers do the same thing!

I was honored to be able to share in Jeff's 28th birthday on the 7th, which we celebrated on the 10th. Although he made it clear that he wanted no gifts from us, he must have been talking into my bad ear at the time. I accepted the scolding graciously.

Another thing I enjoy about being here is how I always seem to be laughing. We sit around and laugh. We laugh at ourselves. We laugh at each other. We point and giggle. How strange it is that we know exactly why we're laughing, and we all laugh. It's contagious, and it's wonderful. This has proven to be the most effective medicine for me, as I have been in what at least one person has referred to as meltdown.

We go to the world renowned Wildwood Boardwalk, with food, entertainment, rides and a water park. There's the famous tram car that tells you in an annoying woman's voice to "Watch the Tram Car, Please!" There are several places along the boardwalk that serve some of the best pizza I've ever had. I go there for the funnel cakes and the snow cones. There's the Boardwalk Mall that caters to tourists by selling souvenirs, t-shirts, the old fashioned photos of your family, plus many other items sure to empty your wallet. There are arcades where you can play video gambling games. You play for tokens, which, like any other tourist trap, can be turned in for useless junk. There's something special about a three-inch high stuffed duck that you "won" on the boardwalk...won for a mere $25 in quarters. But it's worth it. It's the same all over.

And as the three of us grease the chute to purgatory, we watch the people. There's something about the fudge shop that attracts people of excessive mass. Not ones to stereotype, but we can usually spot the ones who will go out to their cars in the handicapped spots to eat their special of the day purchase. The banner-towing airplanes make sure that everyone on the beach knows about this good deal.

I've amassed shot glasses from several years of visiting, purchased at the 99 cent store. I usually make it my business to buy one of every Wildwood shot glass offered. Jeff keeps threatening to ship the box to me...collect!

We'll spend several evenings at the boardwalk, just as we have since I was little. We'll spend a lot of money, too, but I notice that the sights, the sounds and the smells envelope my senses with a feeling of happiness. It's a Welcome Home kind of feeling. Mom grew up in New Jersey, and she spent her summers right here, and this is a significant part of her life, and it is, in a way, home to her. There are boardwalks in California. This one is different, and I'm glad.

If we're lucky we'll watch the sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean. There are several pictures, taken during all seasons of the year, of a big sun rising over the horizon. I'd love to be here for Christmas to watch the sun rise. I've always heard about walking along a snow-covered beach. One day I will. I've made myself promises to come back more than once a year.

I'll be here until the 20th of July. My trip back home will be a quick one. I'll have just enough time to see the people I love. And then I'll be boarding another long flight, but I won't be traveling alone. I'm so glad that David is going, too. How amazing is it that he would be wanting to do this. He said I talked him into it simply by telling him about my experiences at Christmas. Maybe I'm a good storyteller. Maybe I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have someone like David in my life. But my luck doesn't end there. I'm lucky to have loving friends who are always there for me. They are right here right now. I'm very happy.

I plan to write more before I leave New Jersey.

Graduation for one dedicated but stubborn son of a bitch!

I once asked Pastor Rob what he'd do differently if there were only two people present at the service. He said he wouldn't change a thing. If he can reach out and touch the life of one person on a Sunday, then he has done his work successfully.

I have never forgotten what Rob said, and although I don't have much of an audience anymore, I still want to post my thoughts. I can honestly say that I have often felt as though it wasn't worth the effort, but to those of you who have decided to follow me, and those of you who read me anonymously, I will continue. Thanks for reading.

I can't put my finger on what I'm feeling right now. My days of studying and cramming and stressing about school are over. I will receive a white piece of paper with a ribbon around it tomorrow. Some people call this a degree. I don't feel any different, but at the same time I feel exhilarated, or possibly exhausted. I have focused on my studies for four years, and in the end it has paid off. I have been advised to go on to get my Master's. Had I planned on a seamless continuation it would be a done deal, but my attention has been on what I'll be doing this summer. I've been assured that the door is open for me, so I will make that decision when I return to the United States.

If I were to get up and make a speech when I receive my diploma, I know what I would say. Yes, I'd deliver the motherhood and apple pie "Thanks Mom" message, but there is so much more and there are so many more people I can thank. Over the last four years I've come in contact with a lot of wonderful people. I'd love to mention names, but the names would be those of you who I know read this blog, and then some. I've lost contact with certain Myspace people like Kyle, who always was that voice of reason whispering in my good ear, and Ethan, whose innocence allowed me to feel a little bit better about myself and my situation. My older friends have given me so much knowledge based on their life experience, and perhaps in many ways I'm still sifting through it, sorting out what information I will need as I move forward in life. I think at one time I had five Michaels as friends, all but one were older than I. But life isn't all about Myspace, or any other social network for that matter. Life is about real people. I've been through some real life events that involved real people, and it was the real people on the other end of my network cable who gave me the encouragement to keep going. Granted, often I had to be reminded to put my nose to the grindstone, and to hit the books. There were times when I woke in the morning face down in one of my American Literature books, or perhaps some other light late-night reading assignment involving the origin of Ebonics or other localisms. It was not unusual for me to fall asleep while writing a paper on the computer, only to wake up in the morning and wonder who put the blanket over me and who turned out the light. But I was willing to stick it out. While I never went into much detail about how many hours I spent working, I spent far more than I ever admitted to working. I went to a respectable number of college parties, and I'm happy to say that I never fell off the wagon. I didn't have to get drunk to have fun and to laugh. I had fun and laughed at those who got drunk, wondering what they'll think of themselves in the morning. I was also stubborn. I went to class when, unknown to me, I had an abdominal virus. I learned a new word: "shart". But in my stubbornness and dedication, I at least made the effort to go the distance. Many are proud of me for this. I thank them for feeling so. And now it's time for me to put it behind me, if even for a little while. I've put up with a lot over the last four years...in school and out of school. As my dear friend Devin said to me, "Mikey, you are one dedicated but stubborn son of a bitch!"

And to Devin, who just received his Master's Degree, all I can say is..."It takes one to know one, and you're right!"

I will be leaving for New Jersey on July 6, returning on July 20. I leave for Bali on July 22, with a return date that is to be determined, although it is four months in duration. I will write more about this. David is still going, for which I am grateful beyond words. I'm sure he'll not only teach English, but American cuisine.

Thank you for hanging in there while I studied for my finals. This blog has been too quiet for too long. I never finished my "Class of 2006 through dilated pupils" series. Now it's time to write my "Class of 2010: from infinity and beyond" series! I don't know about infinity, but I'm curious to see what beyond holds.